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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · branch · field · suit · snap · pitch · mouse · cabinet

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spring — a coil
  9. field — a subject
  10. spring — of water
  11. suit — clothes
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — the season
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. suit — to fit
  17. field — for sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitch — completely
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. field — farmland
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com